August 18, 2006

First BlogPoll Roundtable of 2006

I dont get a vote in the poll, but I get the email updates telling me when a BlogPoll Roundtable has been launched. Fellow Domer House that Rock Built was put in charge of the first issue and he offers five questions to the masses:

1. Biggest ripoff in the preseason Blog Poll and you can call out a voter...

- Apparently there is this kid that has a Tulane blog that gets a vote. (Tulane? That is weaksauce.) And he puts LSU 20th and doesn't rank Louisville. This guy gets a vote and yet I wonder if my Notre Dame allegiance kept me out and I have the Irish 6th? Tulane blog and voter, you got what you got BlogPoll. Live with it.

2. Should a preseason poll measure hype or be your best guess at the end of the year rankings?

- To me, they should include both. If LSU or Florida had a bit easier schedule then I could have considered either one for my top five. Alas, they both face murder, even each other, and both will be considered dang lucky if they make the BCS or even the SEC Championship Game. Ohio State is my #1 because of both elements. The Bucks return a great offense (sure is getting ND enough hype having a great offense) and they only have three games to worry about all season - at Texas, at Iowa, home against Michigan. Their talent is better than Iowa and Michigan and college football always proves itself to be a game of momentum. My prediction of the Bucks will grow into an 800-pound monster if they beat Texas. With that win, they will roll over everyone else.

3. What is your biggest reach in your poll?

- I don't reach. I go with intuition, guts, and knowledge. I don't put Notre Dame #1 because the Irish defense still scares me. All that being said, I think the pick I will end up regretting most might be the Clemson Tigers at #13. Bowden is due a big year and they are returning a lot. However, Clemson has been at this position before and come up bust.

4. What is the flaw or beauty (depending upon your interpretation) about polls?

- The flaw is the antiquated notion that if you don't lose you shouldn't fall in the polls. Sorry but this is flat wrong. Flash forward to September 9th. If Texas kills Ohio State then it won't matter what Auburn or West Virginia have done, I will rank the Longhorns #1, period. For me also, it matters much more what your doing late in the season than what happens in September. Hardly have I ever witnessed a team that stayed exactly the same through the course of the season.

5. Your Scott Bakula on Quantum Leap and you can go back and change any game result, which game do you change?

- Notre Dame wins 39-38 over Boston College in 1993 completeing a 22-point comeback to stay #1 and head to the Orange Bowl to face Nebraska, essentially making the crybaby, "lets get a ring for Bobby" media unable to vote Florida State #1.

Its that simple. Or Dwayne Jarrett drops the 4th down pass, I don't know. Tough call.